Cosmopolitan Culture Action Taichung
臺中市好民文化行動協會
Cosmopolitan Culture Action Taichung (CCAT) was formed in 2016, with the aim of promoting democratic values, to reveal the truth about the authoritarian period, and for the sake of reform with the aim of transitional justice. Starting in 2019, in order to remember Nylon Cheng–who died for the sake of freedom of speech–the CCAT has organized the Born to Be Free Festival.
Through the festival, a series of events are held from 228 Peace Memorial Day to 407 Freedom of Speech Day about the authoritarian period, transitional justice, and human rights. Through informal discussions, exhibitions, plays, screenings, and music, this hopes to pass on values and encourage public participation, which will have been held for five years in 2023.
Moreover, every year in May, CCAT also organizes a Cosmopolitan Petition Movement, to promote oversight of the city government and civic participation. This year, CCAT is promoting the CCAT Academy, hoping to educate on civic defense and strategies to combat cognitive warfare.
Participants in CCAT events are between 16 and 35 years old, but there is no lack of people above 50 years old either. As such, one sees intergenerational exchanges commonly occur at CCAT events. This is an important aim of CCAT activities, to create dialogue across social backgrounds, ages, and racial backgrounds. Only then can we come to better understand each other, and create a friendly environment for our values. In order to continue probing our key issues, CCAT aims to cooperate more with the local community and to conduct joint planning with volunteers to carry out activities. Volunteers can learn and grow at CCAT, with planning courses and reading groups used to bring in new volunteers, to allow everyone to become an advocate.
Starting from 2019, each year from 228 Peace Memorial Day to 407 Freedom of Speech Day, CCAT organizes a series of artistic works, exhibitions, talks, picture books, guided tours of sites of injustice, a human rights film festival, as a pro-Taiwan arts festival that lasts for half a month.
Starting this year, the CCAT has organized a series of talks on civic defense and cognitive warfare, to allow for a better understanding of the reality of authoritarian encroachment. It is hoped this leads to effective policy directions, raising awareness of civic defense and the implementation of defensive infrastructure, allowing for realistically confronting our core issues.
CCAT has sought to train young pro-Taiwan volunteers, whether in terms of taking notes of talks to planning activities, with close work between volunteers and organization members. Outside of organizing reading groups with volunteers, and documenting the stories of political prisoners, every week, we also get together with volunteers to hold discussions on municipal administration, gender/sexuality, and human rights.
In 2019, seven civic petitions were sent out. In 2020, the "Taichung Park Green Walkways and Adoption Plan" and "Taichung Bridges and Underground Path Walkways" were the main petitions. Afterward, "From Oversight to Civic Cultural Participation: General Assembly for Discussing the Future of the Taichung Prefectural Hall and Old City District", to discuss the Taichung Prefectural Hall, and a city government oversight workshop aimed to provide a road map of advocacy and voting.
Starting from 2016, the CCAT has organized a small rally, as a means of advocacy for young people, so that they can understand how official business is conducted, how cross-examination is conducted, and how to create oversight reports. Through small demonstrations regarding illicit party assets and transitional justice, this allows for a view of history, and understanding the story of the land.
